On Tuesday, March 11, eight of North Harford’s students set out to join the ranks of high schoolers and middle schoolers from all throughout the state of Maryland. These representatives convened in Ocean City for the Maryland Association of Student Councils convention, often referred to as the MASC convention.
Every year, eight NHHS SGA members are given the opportunity to attend the convention and represent their school. While at the convention, they will have the opportunity to vote on their state officers and legislation, attend workshops, and even go to a dance.
The convention spans for three days every March. Students from Harford County are bussed in on a coach bus as an added bonus. This year’s Hawks who will be in attendance are freshman Laura Reil, freshman Emily Porrovicchio, sophomore Jonathon Swanner, sophomore Anastasia Stewart, sophomore Camden Meusel, junior Ambar Lara Arteaga, junior Katherine Vanarsdale, and junior Liam Ehrhart.
“This isn’t my first time going, as I went last year,” says Arteaga, so she’s “looking forward to hanging out with [friends] and learning more about the government.” During the convention, students get the opportunity to sit in meetings and vote on if they support or don’t support laws that affect the school system in the Maryland legislative branch.
Other Hawks, “heard about the convention through SGA meetings and at the HCRASC meeting,” says Stewart. HCRASC, which stands for the Harford County Regional Association of Student Councils, is sending eighty-six representatives to the MASC convention this year, a record high for the association.
Every year, a motivational speaker is chosen to speak at the congregation, with Ed Gerety being chosen to speak at the 2025 convention.
Meusel was looking forward to “hearing Ed Gerety speak” at the convention. Gerety has over thirty years of public speaking experience, having reached a wide audience of over 3.5 million people across all fifty states and Canada. Gerety has spent his life as a motivational speaker, author and leadership trainer, dedicated to training the next generation of leaders.
